verb
fall
fawl
verb
1
To move downward, especially suddenly and without control.
"She slipped on the ice and fell hard on the pavement."
"Leaves fall from the trees every October."
2
To decrease in amount, level, or intensity.
"Prices fell sharply after the announcement."
"Temperatures fell below freezing overnight."
3
To be defeated, collapse, or come to an end (of a government, city, or empire).
"The city fell after a long siege."
4
To happen or occur on a particular date.
"Her birthday falls on a Sunday this year."
noun
1
Autumn; the season between summer and winter.
"We always visit New England in the fall to see the leaves change."
2
An act of dropping down, or a loss of status or power.
"The fall of the empire took decades to unfold."
How to Use Fall
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo drop downward, to decrease, to be defeated, or — as a noun — the season of autumn.
UK vs US
American English commonly says "fall" for the season; British English almost always says "autumn."
Common pairings
fall down
fall in love
fall apart
in the fall
Word Forms
fell past tense, fallen past tense, falls plural, falls plural, Falls plural, falls singular
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Leaves _____ from the trees every October.
Etymology
From Old English feallan ("to fall, fail, die"). The sense "autumn" developed in English as a shortening of the older phrase "fall of the leaf."